Marketing is a word authors either embrace or want to stoke in the fire, but one aspect is universal: It’s necessary.

Whether you’re self-published, published with a small press, or published by a HUGE publishing house, authors have to take on some of the marketing efforts in order for their book to be as successful as it possibly can be. This could mean being present on social media, attending conferences, or purchasing ads. This could also mean spending more time marketing than an author would ever want to. In fact, I work as a social media marketer for authors and publishers. I know how much goes into it because I market all day long. So, trust me, I hear your woes…and today, we’re talking about them.

I’m only using this photo, because I love Scrabble, not going to lie.

I Don’t Like It

Many writers don’t. Unless you’re like me who has a background in marketing, many creative types struggle (or completely reject) the idea of marketing and publicity. And guess what? I understand feeling awful when considering a tweet schedule or a Facebook ad. My tips? Don’t overwhelm yourself. Stick to platforms you actually like. If that means you’re only on Twitter, fine. Tweet away. Stay off platforms you hate, because your readers will be able to sense it. Then talk about what you like. Love Outlander? Great! Write episode reviews. Join fandoms. Just be yourself. Marketing often comes down to just making connections and being you, not selling your book. I mean, who buys a book from a tweet that says “Buy this today! #mybookisawesome #linkbelow #IwannabeJKRowlingoneday”? No one. People buy books because they love that author or their ideas. Share you with the world. Related Article: Authors, Be Yourself

I Don’t Have Time

Just like writers who say they don’t have time to write, guess what? No one has time to write (or market). The key is making time. Even if you only have one hour a week, take that time to schedule your tweets for the rest of the week through Hootsuite or similar companies. Or just be present when you can. If you have the funds, hire a personal assistant to take some of the workload off of your shoulders. Personally, though, I only post when I can talk to fans. Example? If you take a really close look at my social media, you might notice that my photo posts are almost always at 3PM. Why? Because that’s when I wake up. (I work the nightshift.) My photos are generally taken the day before, so my posts are rarely “live.” However, I post when I can so that I can talk to my followers once posted. This also prevents my posts from interrupting my precious writing time. Example? If I post a photo of me writing at a café, I don’t want that to be live because I’ll use my writing time to talk to fans. But if I save that photo for tomorrow afternoon, I can use that photo and talk to them when I am available to chat (and protect that precious writing time while I have it). The key is figuring out what works for you (and when). Related Article: The Truth Behind an Author’s Instagram

Lack of Funds

This is a big one I hear from clients and companies, and it’s such a big one because it’s essential to success. What do I mean by that? You need to know your budget, and you need to stick with it. If, for instance, your self-publishing budget for the year is $2000, but you spend all of that on ads, how will you buy cover art for your upcoming release? Where are you going to earn that back? Are you going to earn that back? Being honest about your financial situation is important. Advertisements and traveling can rack up a bill…fast. Be careful about what you spend and where. Apply for grants and scholarships. Volunteer at conferences. Ask for help from other authors. Example? Guest post on one another’s blogs or switch mailing lists for a day. It’s free and a great way to increase exposure. Keep your head up, and don’t let your lack of funds bother you. There will always be more opportunities, and support is all around you. Related Articles: The Struggling (Sometimes Starving) Writer & How to Create Book Teases on a Small Budget

Social Anxiety or Other Health Issues

Everyone’s health is unique to their situation. The key is trying to find outlets that are just as unique as you. Don’t automatically count yourself out. Research accommodations. For instance, if you have social anxiety or find leaving the house difficult, online conferences are now available (and growing in popularity). Don’t be afraid to reach out to the event coordinator if you’re interested in attending but you’re not sure how you can. Talk to fellow writers. And don’t feel guilty if you need to take time away from writing or social media to take care of yourself. Writing will always be there, and your health matters. You are awesome. You belong. Related Articles: Writers, It’s Okay to Log Out & Taking a Writing Break and Why It’s Important

I know there are a lot of issues that come up with marketing your book, but I hope this was a solid place to start. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I’ll try to leave a quick tip. And if you have a topic you want me to cover, feel free to suggest one any time. I love hearing from you!

As an author—but also as a marketer—I am constantly stressing the importance of being true to yourself and being true to your work. For instance, it’s a popular question to ask an author how long it took them to write a story. In turn, this has caused millions of debates about how long it should take. The infamous Stephen King, for example, has been quoted saying that writing a first draft shouldn’t take longer than three months, the length of a season. And to that, I say, pish posh. (Respectfully, of course.)

To me, it is ALWAYS more important to be true to the story than to meet a deadline. I mean, George R.R. Martin practically dedicated his life to writing A Song of Ice and Fire (a.k.a. Game of Thrones for you HBO fans), and he’s labeled as a serial fantasy genius. His first draft, I doubt, only demanded three months. But he didn’t care. All he cared about was writing it, so he wrote it, and he took as much time as he wanted to write it.

So what does this have to do with you?

Well, I see a lot of authors getting frazzled over writing advice or reading discussions or publishing debates or marketing tips or (insert panic now as I continue listing uncountable reasons for authors to worry). And it isn’t worth it. None of these worries are worth an author’s identity. Be you. That’s my number one rule when I talk to my clients about social media marketing as we create a plan for them. As an example, if you hate Facebook, stay off of it. There’s no reason you should be worrying yourself silly about likes and shares and outreach when you could be on Twitter with your favorites and retweets and hashtags. There’s no reason you should be throwing your precious writing time away for all the millions of things the Internet demands you to do, because—I’ll let you in on a little secret—no one can do it all. No one. So, it’s better to just do what you want to do.

This doesn’t go to say that this is easy. It’s not. There are many temptations that sneak into our time slots. It’s easy to be on Facebook and see an author who has 10,000 more likes than you and feel like you have to do what they do in order to get to where they are. But we have to stop focusing on getting to “where they are” and start focusing on getting to “where you want to be”. I get it. That can be a little confusing, especially when you “want” to be where they are. Those 10,000 likes look nice after all. But those are THEIR 10,000 likes. Those exact same 10,000 likes are not going to be the 10,000 likes you want for you and your book. You want your own 10,000 likes—likes you achieve by being you. But this is exactly where I see a popular problem arise. Authors are so focused on getting “more” followers that they forget to dedicate time to the followers they already have. The goal is not followers. The goal is being yourself.

That being said, you can definitely have more goals and look up to someone—admire their work ethic, respect their status, learn from them, etc.—but remind yourself that you are going to achieve your own goals your own way, and there’s no need to copy what others are doing. As an example, one author kept sharing exactly what another author with a larger follower was sharing. That’s not going to work. That’s not going to do anything. Why? Here are three reasons:

Someone is already doing it.

You’re trying to be them, not you.

You’re sharing it for the wrong reasons. (For followers, not because you enjoy it.)

You have to be you and do what you want to do. When you do that, you will come through as a unique and wonderful voice, and people who like you will find you. There’s no need to worry or debate or copy or steal or take shots at one another.

Just be you, and everything else will fall into place.

~SAT

Thank you for the announcement, Boo Boo.

Are you a writer? As many of you know, I have guest bloggers every Monday. I accept original posts about anything to do with writing and reading. It can be as complicated as in-depth writing tips to as simple as how your favorite series affected your life. You do not have to be published to be a guest blogger. Bios, links, and photos are encouraged. Please email me at shannonathompson@aol.com if you’re interested.